News: checkBeamline, time_scan syntax, ports in CLOSE_WAIT, SardanaMonitor PRINTER

• checkBeamline:

  Jan: collector task with ZMQ interface.

  • update interval component-specific
  • other applications query information via ZMQ
  • load on the devices is limited

  Michael: macro that reads states and possibly take actions

  • Check PETRA current and status
  • Check status Beamline vacuum interlock system: active or not?
  • Check status of LM0 and LM1 (must be removed if PETRA current is larger than 1-2mA) What about filters? (Just remove them???)
  • Check if the monochromator can accept beam (between crystals, ...) If not, email to Beamline staff
  • Are all valves open? (P10: V0 - V5; PR,P1-P5?), No: Check if valve(s) can be opened by reading status of pressure sensors upstream and downstream of valve. If good, than open the valve; if not or if the open fails, than send email to FS-BT group, Beamline Staff
  • Check Status PS2: If the interlock shutter of the Optics hutch is open and the vacuum interlock is ok and all the light monitors are removed, than PS2 can be (should be?) open(ed)
  • Check the undulator permission: Do we have permission to drive the undulator (Maybe higher up the list?)

• timescan syntax: the ALBA syntax is

  timescan nr_interval integ_time latency_time
  
   ['nr_interv', Type.Integer, None, 'Number of scan intervals'],
   ['integ_time', Type.Float,   None, 'Integration time'],
   ['latency_time', Type.Float, 0, 'Latency time']]
  

  The currently installed DESY timescan macro:

  Type:        Magic functiontimescan?
  String form: <function timescan at 0x7fecdc1339b0>
  Namespace:   IPython internal
  File:        /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/sardana/spock/spockms.py
  Definition:  timescan(parameter_s=”, name='timescan')
  Docstring:
  Syntax:
          timescan <start_pos> <final_pos> <nr_interv> <integ_time> -> 
  
  timescan:
      
      Scan of dummy motor, just reading out the counters   
      
  
  Parameters:
          start_pos : (Float) Scan start position
          final_pos : (Float) Scan final position
          nr_interv : (Integer) Number of scan intervals
          integ_time : (Float) Integration time
  

  Plan: switch to the ALBA syntax with the new version of Sardana.

• as a workaround for ports being in the CLOSE_WAIT state, Hannes distributed a script that restarts related services (gnome-settings-daemon, cups-browsed), daily.

• SardanaMonitor PRINTER: SardanaMonitor uses the Environment variable PRINTER to direct the output. In is usually definded in /.bashrc:

  ...
  export PRINTER=...
  ...